In recent years, in order to improve an added value in the field of printing such as catalog printing, direct mail printing and so forth, there has been an increasing demand for high value-added prints having been subjected to a surface treatment such as a gloss treatment, for example. As to a such a print, one capable of adjusting the entire print surface or a part of it to a desired glossiness is demanded, and further, one capable of controlling the glossiness finely is also demanded.
In Patent Document 1, proposed is a method employing a toner containing no colorant component, called a dear toner or a transparent toner, for example, as a technique of forming the uniform gloss surface for the entire print surface. Specifically, it is a method of forming the gloss surface exhibiting glossiness evenly on the entire print surface by providing a toner, or the clear toner on an image formed via ink-jet in the form of a layer, followed by heating and cooling.
However, in the case of the method proposed in Patent Document 1, an image for which glossiness of the entire print surface is improved can be formed, but it appears that it is difficult to form an image for which an arbitrary section is adjusted to any glossiness.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent O.P.I. (Open to Public Inspection) Publication No. 11-7174.